The Substitute Bride

With her small arms wrapped tightly around her doll, Shirley said,"That's the matter between you adults. I'm going to bed now."

Shaking her head at Shirley's words, Sheryl met Anthony's amused look.

The tense atmosphere in the room dissipated somehow at Shirley's unexpected remarks. Sheryl smiled reluctantly and said to Anthony,"Shirley is a precocious child and always says what's on her mind."

Then she added,"As you can see, I'm all right. You don't have to worry about me."

Before Anthony came, she had already decided to call him to resolve the problem.

But now that Anthony showed up, she changed her mind. She was feeling too embarrassed to tell him what she wanted to say.

"You should go home. It's late," she told him instead. Suddenly feeling tired, Sheryl turned her back to go to her room. At this moment, Anthony caught her hand and pulled her in a tight embrace.

Sheryl struggled to escape from his arms, but Anthony stopped her. "Stay, Sher. Let me hold you for a while," he said in a pleading voice.

Surprise kept her rooted to the spot. It was the first time Anthony showed his weakness in front of her. He had been her rock for three years. But now he looked defeated and unsure of himself. Sheryl didn't have the heart to push him away so she let him hold her.

They stayed locked in each other's arms for some time.

Reveling in her closeness, Anthony greedily smelled the sweet fragrance of her hair. His arms tightened suddenly as a thought crossed his mind. He was afraid that if he let her go back to Y City, she would turn back to Autumn, Charles' wife.

When Autumn decided to take that medicine three years ago, he was very happy. He would never have had the chance to be with her had it not been for that. But now he felt that their destiny was pulling them back to that city again. 'What if they meet

e escaped her lips.

"Sher, I did that because I'm your boyfriend. It's the natural thing for me to do." Gripping Shirley's hands, he added,"As a girlfriend, you shouldn't have said those words. Have you ever thought of me as your boyfriend?"

His question upset Sheryl. Pulling her hands from his grasp, she said,"Of course I think of you as my boyfriend! I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That's why I'm working so hard. Why don't you understand me?" Annoyance and hurt were evident in Sheryl's tone.

"What? Can you say that again?" Anthony couldn't believe that he heard her aright. He couldn't contain his excitement, grabbing both her hands and squeezing them tightly. "You just said you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me?" The excitement in his voice made Sheryl smile.

"Yes, you heard it correctly." Sheryl blushed as Anthony's longing eyes met hers.

"But I want you to say it again," he said in a tantalizing tone. Tenderly, Anthony pulled Sheryl in his loving arms. It was pure bliss holding her knowing she finally returned his feelings.

Anthony felt that all the effort he made was worthwhile. It seemed as if he waited an eternity to hear those words from her, but it was all worth it.